< Psalms 109 >

1 To victorye, the salm of Dauid.
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent.
2 God, holde thou not stille my preisyng; for the mouth of the synner, and the mouth of the gileful man is openyd on me.
For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues.
3 Thei spaken ayens me with a gileful tunge, and thei cumpassiden me with wordis of hatrede; and fouyten ayens me with out cause.
They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.
4 For that thing that thei schulden loue me, thei bacbitiden me; but Y preiede.
In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
5 And thei settiden ayens me yuelis for goodis; and hatrede for my loue.
They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 Ordeyne thou a synner on him; and the deuel stonde on his riyt half.
Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 Whanne he is demed, go he out condempned; and his preier `be maad in to synne.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be regarded as sin.
8 Hise daies be maad fewe; and another take his bischopriche.
May his days be few; may another take his position.
9 Hise sones be maad faderles; and his wijf a widewe.
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
10 Hise sones tremblinge be born ouer, and begge; and be cast out of her habitaciouns.
May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.
11 An vsurere seke al his catel; and aliens rauysche hise trauelis.
May the creditor seize all he owns, and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 Noon helpere be to him; nether ony be that haue mercy on hise modirles children.
May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children.
13 Hise sones be maad in to perisching; the name of him be don awei in oon generacioun.
May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.
14 The wickidnesse of hise fadris come ayen in to mynde in the siyt of the Lord; and the synne of his modir be not don awei.
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 Be thei maad euere ayens the Lord; and the mynde of hem perische fro erthe.
May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.
16 For that thing that he thouyte not to do merci,
For he never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to their death.
17 and he pursuede a pore man and beggere; and to slee a man compunct in herte.
The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.
18 And he louede cursing, and it schal come to hym; and he nolde blessing, and it schal be maad fer fro him. And he clothide cursing as a cloth, and it entride as water in to hise ynnere thingis; and as oile in hise boonus.
The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
19 Be it maad to him as a cloth, with which he is hilyd; and as a girdil, with which he is euere gird.
May it be like a robe wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
20 This is the werk of hem that bacbiten me anentis the Lord; and that speke yuels ayens my lijf.
May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me.
21 And thou, Lord, Lord, do with me for thi name; for thi merci is swete.
But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name; deliver me by the goodness of Your loving devotion.
22 Delyuere thou me, for Y am nedi and pore; and myn herte is disturblid with ynne me.
For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am takun awei as a schadowe, whanne it bowith awei; and Y am schakun awei as locustis.
I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 Mi knees ben maad feble of fasting; and my fleische was chaungid for oile.
My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.
25 And Y am maad schenschipe to hem; thei sien me, and moueden her heedis.
I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Mi Lord God, helpe thou me; make thou me saaf bi thi merci.
Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your loving devotion.
27 And thei schulen wite, that this is thin hond; and thou, Lord, hast do it.
Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it.
28 Thei schulen curse, and thou schalt blesse, thei that risen ayens me, be schent; but thi seruaunt schal be glad.
Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.
29 Thei that bacbiten me, be clothid with schame; and be thei hilid with her schenschipe as with a double cloth.
May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wear their shame like a robe.
30 I schal knouleche to the Lord greetli with my mouth; and Y schal herie hym in the myddil of many men.
With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely; I will praise Him in the presence of many.
31 Which stood nyy on the riyt half of a pore man; to make saaf my soule fro pursueris.
For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.

< Psalms 109 >